


Just Another Lie

by cassiel0uwho



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-01-16 16:58:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1354888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassiel0uwho/pseuds/cassiel0uwho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not able to disobey orders, Ward and Simmons must work undercover as a married couple to discover something that has fooled even Shield command.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I completely deleted Observations. I don't think I knew AoS well enough when I started and had no idea where I was going with it. I loved some parts of it, so I've decided to start over with the general theme of Ward x Simmons being undercover together.

Jemma was glad to have her lab to herself. It was a rare occasion which she took full advantage of when ever the opportunity came around. Fitz had been whisked away by Skye early in the morning. Now that she was better, Skye took advantage of down time by exploring what ever place they were stopped in. Today, Fitz was showing Skye around one of the smaller Shield bases. Which gave Jemma at least a few hours to do what she pleased in the lab with out Fitz's remarks on what she did.

Though, it was nice to have a lab with out Fitz's chatter, the silence- save for the hums of the equipment- was a little too much. As she worked, Jemma hummed softly to herself. The quietness of the lab was broken from the noise of the door sliding open.

Jemma looked up to see Ward. “Is there something I can help you with? I was hoping to just work in the lab with Fitz gone. Catch up on some projects and such.”

“I was hoping,” Ward said slowly. “That you could put that away and help me with something. Or rather I help you with something.”

Jemma glanced down at her work that was spread across the table. It would be a waste to end her experiment now. The results would be inconclusive. 

“Can it wait an hour? At least let me finish one more round of this and log the results?”

“Sure. I'll meet you upstairs in an hour then.”

Jemma climbed up the stairs just over an hour later after Ward had asked her. She was still unsure what he wanted to talk about and hadn't given it much thought as she had worked. She found him at the counter by the tiny kitchen with papers spread around him.

“Catching up on paper work?”

“Actually,” Ward answered. “These are for you.”

Her confused expression prompted him to go further and explain.

“Your undercover skills need work. A lot of work. Sorry, Simmons, but it's true. It's understandable why your skills are lacking in the area. Especially now, you need the practice, the confidence to carry out a different persona.”

“Why 'especially now'? What does that mean?”

Ward sighed. “A case came from command. Coulson tried to get out of it, but they're higher command orders. He can't. The case needs two agents to go undercover who have a specific skill set.”

“So, I'm assuming that means me as the one. And the other?”

“That would be me. The case needs two specialists: one in combat and the other in science.”

“Fitz didn't fit the bill?”

“He doesn't have your skill set. If it was something to do more with machinery or engineering than yes.”

“Oh, um ok. Well for long? Where?”

“Slow down with the questions.” A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “We'll get to that later. I want to focus on the undercover part. I know preparation helps with you, so I figured we could go through the covers together. Maybe this will stop a major freak out.”

Jemma slipped into the seat across from him. “Isn't this all something Coulson or May would inform me of? Not to say you're incapable of it. It's just they generally do this sort of thing, and tend to be more polite in calling me out on my freak outs.”

“I know. Sorry. Coulson was going to tell you, but I thought it might sound better coming from me.”

“And why did you think that Ward?”

The question threw him off guard a little. From their time together, Jemma knew that was a hard thing to do. Yet, her asking a very simple question had seemed to shock him.

“Lets just focus on the covers, Simmons. We have about a week before we have to live lives that were devised out on paper. And no.” He added quickly to cut her off. “I don't know exactly how long we'll be. A month or two at the most. It all depends on how long we can keep our cover and how long it will take to deal with the case.”

He leaned over to grab a few papers from the cluttered mess before speaking again. “I don't know how much you'll like this, but the most convincing cover for the both of us would involve our covers being married.”

“Oh.” Jemma tried to keep the shock off her face. “T-That is certainly understandable. You do know best. This is your area of expertise, not mine.”

“Sorry. I know it's not particularly ideal for us. But the other covers wouldn't work with me. Both covers need to be strong. I can't pretend to be a scientist or an intern next to someone who actually does know what she's talking about. With dual covers, both need to be strong and match each other in strength. Some one will be able to tell it's a cover if one is too weak. Understand?”

Jemma nodded. “So who exactly are we going as? You can explain all your secret agent stuff as you go.”

He rolled he eyes at least what passed for it, but continued. Jemma had been under the impression that their talk would last an hour or so, but two hours passed and by the third her stomach was growling. They stopped to eat, she made the both of them sandwiches. And after his talk resumed. It was an hour after talking and him quizzing her that he deemed she knew her cover well. Of course, they still had a week till she would be put under real scrutiny.

She was to become Jemma Stevens, a newly wed who recently moved to the town on the east coast of Florida with her husband Grant Stevens. It was a simple cover for her. Jemma Stevens had just accepted a research job for a university’s small branch in the town. Grant was to take up a position at the private security firm that was used at the university and across the town.

Jemma found both Skye and Fitz in the lab when she returned. 

“Hey, what was all that about?” Fitz asked.

“Oh. Um nothing.”

“Nothing?” Skye asked with doubt. “Because that was not nothing. Either you two were planning the most boring meeting ever or are going through legal documents to be married.”

“What the hell?” Fitz looked back and forth between the two women. “Where the hell did you get that from?”

“What?! It's what I over heard when I went up there.”

“We are not getting married! Well not really. Just pretend.”

“Pretend?” Both asked at the same time.

“Yes. Undercover.” Jemma rolled her eyes at the two and continued. “I can actually do undercover work. It isn't impossible.”

“You have seen you, right? You shot the one agent because you can't lie at all.”

“Sorry, Simmons, but I have to agree with Skye. You can't lie all that well. It's why your a scientist. You don't need to lie as one.”

Jemma shook her head at the both of them. Her skill at lying was not as good as others. She knew her skill was terrible, but her few hours with Ward had boosted her confidence. If only just a little. Jemma knew about her cover, but Ward had stopped her every time she went into much detail. Her brain kept going into the extremely unnecessary details, but at least Ward was starting to stop her from opening her mouth about it.

“Ok, even if you can get away with the whole lying bit, why do they want you?”

“Way to boost her confidence, Skye.” Fitz muttered.

“Thanks both of you. Shield has been looking into an arms dealer of sorts, one that deals with more of the unknown that has been making itself known the last few years. They discovered that multiple threads all lead to one place, but from there they're still unaware of who's running it, and some of biotech they've found has never been seen before. They have a few leads of course, they just require people getting close enough to dig a little deeper.”

“I'm sure you'll do find. I mean, this is what you wanted. Out of the lab with it's nice protective lab, and into the world with angry people who have guns.”

Jemma sighed. “You two suck. I want to do this. I know I can do this.” 

“I'm not saying you can't. It's just you don't have the track record with lying, and it's dangerous, Simmons. What if Ward isn't there in a bad situation? You can't protect yourself.”

“We don;t want you getting hurt.” Skye finished for Fitz.

“Thank you for the concern.” She muttered before leaving them to the lab and closing herself in her bunk.

This was what she had always wanted when she had joined Shield. Not necessarily the undercover part, but the chance to be out there and stuck in the lab analyzing items that were handed to her. This was one of her biggest chances and both Skye and Fitz gad looked at her like she was crazy. She had a week to prepare for it. Ward had been surprised when he said she knew enough for the day. Was she that bad?

A few minutes later someone knocks. She sniffles a bit before answering.

“Go away. I need a moment to myself.”

“Simmons.” Ward knocked again. “Let me in there.”

'Ward, I said go away.”

“Not happening.” He shot back, and a minute later he was sliding open her door. “You looked pretty upset. You are upset.”

“It's nothing, Ward.” 

“No, it's not something. You don't get upset over nothing. Is this too much for you? I can get someone else.”

Jemma shook her head. “Skye and Fitz were right. I can't protect myself. What happens if you're not there and something goes wrong?”

“I'm sure you'd think of something. You have a brain up there Simmons. But if it's cause for concern we have a week to work on your self defense. And we continue it there too. Ok?”

Jemma nodded. “Alright.”

“I'll see you in the morning then, Simmons. But I'm rooting for you either way. Coulson would have assigned someone else if he thought you incapable. Get some sleep.” He closed the bunk door on his way out.

At least she had something to look forward to in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

“You already have strength from working in the lab. Enough that it's not my main concern.”

“If that was meant to sound nice, it didn't come out that way.” Jemma huffed feeling exposed and open like child in the training room with Ward staring to critique every move.

It seemed that he stopped her every few seconds to readjust her abdomen, stance, or shoulders. Every time her fist connected with the worn punching bag he had some critique about how she did it.

“You know,” Jemma pointed out, “I'm not going to learn anything if you keep interrupting me constantly. I thought we were under a time frame.”

“We are.” Ward stressed. “It would go a lot faster if you held your core steady and didn't twist every time.”

“I thought you were teaching me self defense.”

Ward moved from behind the beg where he previously holding it steady. “I am. I want you to be able to get into a position where you can run away from an attacker and get me or help. Realistically, that's not always going to happen. I feel a lot safer knowing you can throw a decent punch or happen to have a fire extinguisher.”

Jemma grit her teeth at the jab. She was too stressed for the jokes. Ward quizzed her earlier, and though she slipped up only once, Jemma wasn't as comfortable as she was yesterday. Her weight shifted and her shoulders turned and she swung again with her first.

“Better.” He said before his hands were on her middle guiding her to the correct stance. “I can hear you thinking, Simmons. Don't think, just act.”

The breath she sucked in sounded audible to herself. Which also meant Ward heard it. Jemma didn't just touch people. She was not a person of affection with many given hugs and most forms of casual contact. Fitz received hugs very rarely and in situations where either one of them needed the contact.

A second later and his hands were gone.  
________________________________________________________________

“Hey, Simmons.”

Jemma looked up at Fitz. There were only five days left till it was time to leave. Her goal was to finish one last project in the lab so she'd have the associated paper work to have during the down time during their case. Time permitting anyway, but from Jemma could tell there would some as there were less lab hours than she had expected. Apparently, having less of a work load would give her real life self time to analyze what ever samples were collected without raising questions. 

“Need anything?”

Fitz shook his head. His hair had grown out just enough so that his curls shook with the motion. “No. I just wanted to say sorry for the other day. Your incredibly strong. I think we all know that by now. Be stupid not too. I just don't want you get to hurt.”

“I know.” Jemma said with a tense smiles. “I'll have Ward with me, and a majority of the time I'll be in a lab of some sort. Nothing to worry about.”  
________________________________________________________________

Jemma stared at the red dress draped across the side of the shopping cart. There were other garments in the basket that Jemma questioned whether or not she'd even consider trying them on let alone buy them. 

“Come along, Simmons.” May said with out glancing back at the chemist.

“Is all of this even necessary?” She questioned. “Not that I'm opposed to showing a little more skin than I normally do, but I don't see how it's needed.”

“Your cover isn't just a piece of paper, a name. It's how you act, speak, and dress. Some of your wardrobe is fine. Not all of it, though. You need something more.”

“Fine.” She muttered before following May into the next aisle of clothes. “How did you get stuck with this job anyway?”

“Experience.” May answered as she examined a black dress. “One of them was a town similar to yours. And Skye would have been to distracted buying clothes for herself. Here.” She thrust the material at her. When she didn't immediately take the dress she shook her head. “Go try it on.”

Jemma nodded and retreated back to the fitting room.

“Let me see.” May knocked against the door when she deemed two minutes enough for Jemma to change out of her own clothes and into the heavy dark material of the dress.

“I think it's a little much.” The words tumbled out her mouth as soon as she opened the door for May to see. Jemma was wrong to think the red dress displayed excessive cleavage, not only was her cleavage on display, but it's back was open too. The only thing modest was it's length. And Jemma suspected that in the designer's mind it made up for the amount of skin it revealed.

“It's fine.”

“Fine? It's not fine!”

“Simmons, it's cleavage. It won't harm you. And with the lack of ability to lie you need all the help you can get. You can change back to your clothes. I think we have enough to convince people you're Stevens not Simmons.”  
________________________________________________________________

Jemma sighed at the state of her bunk. It was an absolute mess. Spending her last available time in the lab had proved to be productive at the cost of taking time away from other actions. Like packing her remaining her stuff. Which wasn't the worse. Only now it was her last night on the Bus and it was already late.

Not to mention both Skye and Fitz decided to throw Ward and her a going away party of sorts. Which took valuable time away from packing and left her just a bit tispy. It was a nice gesture, and she appreciated, but now she mentally kicked herself for not packing sooner. At least it was clothes and nothing bulky. 

“Come in.” She called after the first knock. “Here to quiz me again?” Jemma questioned when it was Ward on the other side of the door.

“No. You deserve a night off. Thank you.”

Jemma crinkled her nose at him. “Thank you? I think I'm the one who should be saying that. I mean if you hadn't been teaching me how to go about all this I doubt I could do it. I still doubt I can actually pull any of this off tomorrow, but I feel better about this time.”

He gave a light smile. “You still deserve most of the credit. You've been a very good student. With everything. I'm not worried.”

Lair, she thought to herself though it wasn't shared out loud. He was worried. Ward always worried about the younger agents despite his denial of it.

“Just remember to breathe and not to think to much.”

“Thank you.” Jemma repeated with a light pat to his shoulder.

“Don't stay up too late. I will be quizzing you on the ride there.”  
________________________________________________________________

Her breathing finally evened out and her eyes were sealed off to the early noon light. From how she felt now, Jemma knew there was going to be a soreness there later. Her comfort was achieved and she had no want or need to move.

“Simmons.”

She groaned at her name. 

“Time to get up.”

“No.” She muttered.

“We're here.”

“Huh?” She pried open her eyes this time. “Oh, your right. I fell asleep. Sorry.” 

Ward had pulled up to an older well tended one story house. It was bright and homey. Something she had started to dream of when she had made the move and joined Shield. That or cozy flat was her dream place to live.

“No need to apologize. You were tired. You needed it.”

“But you didn't get to quiz me.” 

“You don't need it. I know preparation calms you, but too much is your down fall.”

Jemma kept her grumbling as she climbed out of the more environmental friendly car that the Stevens shared. 

“Shield movers left an hour ago. They have boxes inside for us to unpack ourselves and our own stuff too. We should start now.”

It was hard to resist rolling her eyes. Two minutes in and he was already taking charge. It was an annoyance rather than an issue.

She didn't waste a moment to grab her own box, filled with lab equipment she didn't trust any body else to move. Ward simply raised his eyebrow.

“By all means. Go ahead. You do have the keys.”

“Welcome to your new home, Mrs. Jemma Stevens.” Ward announced with a fake goody grin as the door swung open.


	3. Chapter 3

Jemma sighed at the mess of the boxes around her. She picked up the empty container of take-out that sat empty by her foot. They had stopped just long enough to break for food. Though, Jemma had just come out to pick up the food before she had retreated back into the garage.

There wasn't a ton of lab equipment to unpack. Too much and it would look suspicious if someone accidentally saw. Still, they involved a mess of wires and parts that needed to be put together. 

“Simmons?”

“Yeah?” Jemma yawned and turned from where she was sitting. 

“It's getting late.”

“Alright...”

“You should get to bed.”

“Oh, Ward.” Jemma shook her head. “I think I can tell when I need to get to bed.”

“I know. But you have a track record of staying up to late. Besides, you're getting no where with the equipment. Take a break. Go to bed. You can work on it in the morning.”

He was right. She'd been staring at the same wires for an hour. Her mind kept wondering off, kept thinking about Fitz and Skye on the Bus. Were they holding up with out them? Coulson and May were generally pleasant company, but the two youngest agents were left alone. Jemma wouldn't be surprised if they were up to no good in their absence. 

“Fine, fine I'll got to bed.” Jemma held out the empty container towards him. “I don't know where trash is. I'm surprised you haven't realized I do my best work in the hours before bed, and the ones closest too when I wake.”

“Night, Simmons.” He smiled, shaking his head as she passed by.

“Night, Ward.”

Setting up her room had been the first thing she had done. The rest of the house had been left to Ward to unpack how he pleased. The most time consuming part had been putting away her clothes neat and proper. Jemma was glad for it now as it was once less thing she had to do now. She fall asleep on the bed with her clothes still on.

She woke up a few hours later, both her eyes and head aching. As much as she tried, she couldn't fall asleep again. The room was too big, too open. The house didn't make many sounds either. Everything was too new for her.

Instead of fighting the wakefulness, Jemma stumbled back to the garage. Careful not to turn on lights as she went so she didn't accidentally wake Ward. With nothing else to occupy her mind, the wires came easily. It was mindless work when her head wasn't filled to the brim with thoughts. In another few hours most of the equipment was set up and could function. Her eyes were blurry when she stumbled back to her bed. Her sleep was too light, but Jemma was grateful for the few extra hours. 

She yawned into her mug of tea. So far, it was the only comfort the morning had brought. 

“I take it you didn't sleep well?” Ward asked from behind the laptop. 

Jemma rolled her eyes. “And what gave it away? What are you looking at anyway?” She asked as she moved over to peer over his shoulder. 

“A message to the team. Encrypted of course. Anything you want to add?”

“Tell the two monkey heads I advise them to say out of trouble.”

“I thought Fitz was the monkey.”

“Oh he is.” Jemma agreed. “But so is Skye when the two of them are left alone. May and Coulson are going to need to keep an eye out on them.”

“I;m sure they'll be just fine.”

“Well, you have obviously never have had to deal with the two of them drunk.”

“That bad.”

“Very.”

Jemma went back to her tea.

“So why didn't you sleep last night? And, yes, I heard you tinkering around with the wires. You're not a mouse.”

“I don't know why you feel the need to point that out.” Jemma muttered. “I don't know. New places, that sort of thing doesn’t sit well with me always. Too many variables.”

“Fair enough.” He knew well enough to not press the issue. In a few days her sleep would come regularly. “So, there are few more boxes to unpack, and I think we should get another training session in.”

Jemma hadn't meant to groan out loud. Or at least not as loud as she had. “Oh, sorry. It's just is it that necessary? I'm quite good at improvising.”

Ward shook his head. “Simmons, this isn't up for discussion. If you aren't willing to cooperate with this, I'm sure I can make a very compelling argument to Coulson to why you shouldn't be in the field and find some one else to replace you.”

“You're bluffing.”

“Am I?”

Jemma couldn't tell. His expressions were hard to read most of the time. Still, she didn't want to risk being taken off the mission.

“Fine, but we do it now before I change my mind.”

Basically, he had her do the same things that she had done previous sessions. This time he focused on disarming. A skill Jemma hoped she never had the chance to try for real. 

“You're still thinking too much.” Ward pointed out as he picked up the dummy gun from the floor. When she did manage to get the gun, it usually fell out of her grip before she could spin away from Ward.

“I got the gun...sort of.” It was a feeble defense of her own poor skill.

“Well, it's something.” He admitted. “I think were done for today. I was also thinking we should go out to one of the local restaurants. It'd be good to see how some of the people are, and they need to see us.”

Jemma spent the rest of the day between unpacking boxes and exploring the house. It was a lovely house. Older yes, but it had charm. Who ever had owned the house previously had taken great care of it. She wondered briefly who had owned it before them? Was it someone by themselves, a couple who grew old, or a couple with a kid? Regardless of who, they had put a lot of time and thought in the house. So far the garage was home to her make shift lab and a training area for Ward as well. The dining room was a little on the large side, obviously meant for a larger family or hosting. There was a master bed room where she had set her personal items up and two smaller bedrooms. One was being used by Ward and the other was a make shift office. Just another place for Shield equipment, really. 

Around six, Jemma made it back to her room. She was tempted to wear what she usually did. Jeans and jumper sounded so comfortable, but it was too hot. Besides she wasn't supposed to be Jemma Simmons, but Jemma Stevens. Jumpers were now off limits as long as she was her. Instead, she settled on a red cotton sun dress. A bit uncomfortable considering she didn't wear clothing like it very often. A little bit of change was always welcome.

“You ready?” Ward asked when she stepped into the kitchen.

“Yup. Ready as I'll ever be.”

“Don't worry, you'll do fi-” He said glancing up from the laptop screen, the words stopping in his throat. “Wow...I mean...sorry. I just wasn't suspecting you to come out in a dress.”

She screwed up her eyebrows at him. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“I... I'm just not used to seeing you in a dress. It's...nice.”

“Nice?” She asked just a bit skeptical. “Well, don't get used to it. It;s just for Stevens. Did they teach you nothing in Operations?”

“I can disarm a bomb.”

“Oh, don't start now Ward. You already lost your edge. You can't even handle seeing me in a dress.”

“And the Operations vs. the Academy feud lives on.” He muttered to himself with a smile. “Come on, lets go.”

The ride to the restaurant is short. He offers a few more words of advice. Jemma tries the best she can to at least appear appreciative. It's hard, though. She's nervous enough as it is. His words just remind her of how much she can't mess up. He doesn't need the words that he tells her. Ward's been in these situations before. How many people had he charmed? How many people had he lied to?

Jemma couldn't lie. Not really, maybe a few times it worked if she was lucky. She was a scientist. The whole point of her questions, her experiments was to come up with the truth or find a way to get there.

“You can do this. I know you can.” He assured her one more time before parking the car.

“I hope so.” She said it more to herself than him.

The restaurant isn't as crowded as she had suspected it would be. It came as relief for her, not so much for Ward. He had wanted to get to know the people, not a half empty place.

“How long are you visiting?” The waitress asked when she stopped at their tables.

“Actually,” Ward's voice was full of charm. “We just moved in. My wife and I.”

“Really?” The waitress was beaming now. Jemma couldn't tell if the town was desperate for new people or if it was the result the charm coming off of Ward in waves. “That's amazing news. We mainly get tourists around here. It's great for business, still it's nice to see new faces. So what brought you here?”

“My wife, Jemma, got a new job at one of the labs.”

Jemma smiled when the waitress glanced over at her. Her attention turned back to Ward in a matter of seconds.

“That's nice. So what do you do?”

“Private security.”

“A man in uniform.” She said with a wink at Jemma. “ It's good to know there's some one else ro help protect people with all the crazy things that have been happening lately. So, what would like for drinks?”

“What was that?” Jemma asked. “Not the drinks. What did you say before?”

“Oh.” The waitress frowned. “It's just some strange things have been happening. I'm sure it's nothing. Anyway, what would you like to drink?” It was obvious she wouldn't be elaborating on the topic.

“You were flirting.” Jemma pointed out when the waitress was out of ear shot.

“Jealous?” he asked with an amused smile.

“Shut up. I want to know more about these strange happenings.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry guys! I had school and finals! But, I'm back now. So I should be posting chapters much more regulatory. Enjoy!

Jemma sipped her drink quietly. Strange happenings was not a lot to go on. Not scientific at all. More a matter of personal opinion. She'd have to go through the news. Or have Skye go through it if she had the time. Patterns were Skye's things. She'd see something. Ward too. He'd know what things were being covered up. She herself could possibly spot a cover up or two depending on what it involved. Scientific inaccuracies were easy to spot.

Or Ward could try charming the pants off the waitress. Again.

“I know you're thinking right now.” Ward spoke softly in hopes of not startling her. “ Only when people go out together for dinner, they talk. Grant and Jemma Stevens are married. We should be talking.”

“Oh, should we be talking about the stuff we've moved in or the secret agency we work for?” The questions came flying out her mouth. She hadn't meant for it too. It just happened.

“Jemma, quiet.” His voice had an edge to it.

“I'm just saying.” Jemma huffed. “I can prepare for this all I want, I have, but the last time I was supposed to act a certain way I accused Coulson of having multiple prostitutes while creating way bigger of scene then was necessary. If you need a scene, I can do that. Quite well. Normal, talking couple might be a bit harder.” 

Ward leaned back a little in his seat. “Ok.” He sighed. “I know this isn't your thing, but we need you for this. I know for whatever reason you don't like lying. You just need to go with it. I'm sorry. Now, we're towards the back of the restaurant. There's a couple to a left talking to themselves. They're not interested in what we're saying. The waitress is the only one we have to worry about. Which should be easy. Keep your voice down and we discuss what we're really doing. Ok?”

Jemma relaxed a little. The one person they had to worry could easily be persuaded by Ward if an issue arose.

“Alright. Has any one gone through their news? Police reports? Strange happenings can mean almost anything depending on the person. Though, generally used for what people term supernatural occurrences. Or as I like to say: science we have yet to understand.”

“Disappearances.” Ward explained. “A series of missing person reports had been filed. There's no noticeable pattern as far I can tell. Not by race, social standing, or monetary standing. It's varied. Though, three could be traced back to one man.”

Jemma nodded; a sign for him to explain further.

“His name is Andrew Hughes. Rich guy. The wife, Mia, doesn't need to work, but she does. You'll be meeting her tomorrow. You'll be working with her.”

Jemma blinked at him. Was he serious? Did he really think that dumping this on her the night before was a good idea? That she'd be able to function normally while still keeping their secrets?

'Are you serious right now, Ward?” Jemma asked, demanding really, in a hushed voice. “You can not just spring that on me and expect me to do well tomorrow! It is not fair to me. You should have left me on the Bus.”

“Simmons...” Ward sighed. “Please. I didn't want to overwhelm you. You have a habit of over preparing and I was trying to avoid it.”

He, as usual, had a good point. Though, it did nothing to dissipate Jemma's anger. Yes, it was true. The biochemist had a horrible history of over preparing. Even she recognized it. It didn't always serve it's intended purpose, but it calmed the anxiety that would bloom in her stomach. Just as it did now.

“I'm not really hungry if the waitress comes around. I'm going to go freshen up.”

Jemma got up from the booth before he could stop her. After navigating her way through the small space, Jemma locked herself in a stall. As much as she wanted to leave, she couldn't. That would certainly be childish. Yet here she was, hiding herself in a bathroom stall. Like that was some how better. Trying to keep her breathing even. She was mad at Ward. Had every right to be. Yes, Jemma herself knew her habit of over preparing. But to spring it up just like that? The night before? Maybe he had a point. Maybe, but that didn't give him the right to do what he had did.

After a few minutes, Jemma left the stall. A brief amount of time was spent at the sink; to wipe her eyes and splash water on her face. 

Ward was leaning against their table. A plastic bag with containers by his side. No doubt he had charmed the waitress once again.

“I know,” He said as she get closer. “That you said you weren't hungry. But I think you are. I also know you probably want to go back to the house. So lets go.” As he finished speaking he held out his hand for her.

Jemma stared at his hand.

“Your supposed to hold it.” Ward added in a hushed tone. “Please.”

She grabbed his hand as he grabbed the food. Jemma managed to keep a smile plastered on as they left the small restaurant. It faded as soon as the chemist was sitting in the car.

Ward didn't attempt conversation during the short car ride. For which Jemma was grateful. If he had it would have been met with unkind words. Even when they arrived at the house he let her go to the bed room with out a word. If Jemma was thankful for one thing, it was the space he was currently giving her. Though, that trend would not be kept tomorrow. Not when he needed information. 

Her sleep was restless. She was entirely too anxious for her work day tomorrow. The lab work did not scare her. It was a six hour day every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,and Friday. Half time and easy. She could do the work in her sleep. It was her real work that scared her. Jemma assumed Ward wanted her to get close to Mia. That didn't seem like rocket science. Only she couldn't control a person's reaction. As the night wore on, Jemma considered going to the garage. There was stuff she still needed to set up. Jemma didn't get up to do so. She couldn't get herself up. The chemist couldn't be bothered too. It was a long, sleepless night.

By 6, Jemma had given up all attempts at sleep. There was no point in tossing and turning for an hour more. Deciding her hair was too wild, Jemma took a quick shower. Then blow dried her hair straight to throw it back into a sleek pony tail. It was her signature 'look'. Thankfully, her clothes were in order. It made picking out something easier. She yearned for a jumper, but choose a modest dress instead. She was Stevens after all. Hopefully, Jemma looked well dressed. Her goal was to look more sophisticated. Maybe Mia would like it. She spent a little time on her make up. Maybe the extra effort would help. Hopefully. Ward was waiting for her when she stepped into the kitchen. At first, Jemma thought their mutual silence would continue. A girl could dream.

“We have to talk about last night.”

Jemma shook her head. “We don't.” She said, moving about the kitchen to make her tea.

“This isn't up for debate, Simmons.” Ward's tone sounded close to the one he used with Skye. When she was misbehaving.

“How about this? There's nothing to discuss.”

Jemma watched Ward pinch the bridge of his nose and take a few calming breaths.

“There is. It is my sole purpose to protect you, Simmons. I don't care about what I did and didn't do. You can't just decide to get up when ever you damn well please.”

“Huh? What should I do then, Ward? Tell me!”

“You can't go running off.” He snapped at her. “I don't care if you're upset, but you don't leave my sight like that. I was half worried you were going to go run off into a town you'd be lost in. There is only so much I can do to protect you, Simmons. I'd like it if you did things that didn't cause me to panic more.”

“Yes, cause you were clearly panicking, Ward. I'm sorry, but I'm not May. I can't compartmentalize like her.”

Jemma left him in silence with her tea.

She wished that Shield had given them two cars. Or that the lab was in walking distance. Their silence was suffocating. It hung thick in the air between them. Even if she wanted to speak, she couldn't. The silence was choking them. 

As he pulled up, she checked her watch. 8:30 am. Just a bit early to deal with introductions and the like. 

“I'll pick you up at four.”

Jemma gave him a short nod stepping out of the car.

“I'll call if something's wrong.”

There, Jemma thought, that should make him panic less.

The office greeted Jemma right as she stepped through the front doors. It appeared Mia was waiting for her. She was tall and slim. Dark cropped hair that shown under the fluorescent lighting. Her face was heart shaped with narrow eyes. She held herself with poise.

“Jemma Stevens.” Mia beamed, rising from her chair to greet the chemist. “What a pleasure to meet you. I take it that was your husband who dropped you off? You should have let him come inside. I would have loved to meet him. That's alright. I can meet him at dinner.”

“Dinner?” Jemma asked, interrupting her mile-a-minute speech. 

“At my house, sweetie. I love having people over. Especially, new people. We rarely get new residents who aren't elderly. You bring a breath of fresh air this town certainly needs. 7 o'clock tonight should work out just perfectly. You'll have to call that husband of yours during your lunch break. I do hope it isn't too last minute for the both of you. My husband and I could certainly use the company.”

Jemma let out a breathy “Oh.”

“Come on, sweetie.” Mia said. “I'll give you the grand tour.”

Jemma followed the taller lady. She was already fighting off a headache from her too fast speech. Calling Grant didn't worry her. He'd be pleased that they were invited over.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long.I'm still finding my flow. I'm not entirely happy with it, but I love the ending.

Jemma fiddled with her phone. She had thirty minutes left till her lunch break ended. Mia, for the first time in the day, had left her alone. Only because she expected Jemma to call Grant. Which she was currently putting off. Her behavior was a bit childish. There was still remnants of the grudge she was holding against him. Though, if she had called him, he would most likely be happy for their opportunity. This was what he wanted. For her to become close to Mia and he close to Andrew. If she said yes to the overly eager woman, she'd have no out. Sure, she could lock herself in the bathroom again. Leave Ward to deal with it. His attitude could be dealt with after. Running to the bathroom was not acceptable, though. Even it did mean an out for a few minutes. Her issue would still be there when she returned. She was being foolish. Truly and utterly foolish. She was a brilliant biochemist; two degrees that many couldn't even pronounce. Her fear was controlling her. Dictating her actions. 

She pressed call before she could her mind.

Ward answered on the very first ring. “Jemma.”

“Hey, what are you up to?”

“Still unpacking.” He sighed; his job didn't start till the following week.

“Well, um, Mia invited us to dinner tonight.”

“Really?”

Despite his cool tone, Jemma could hear the surprise in his voice. Which she chose to ignore.

“Yes. I think she said to be at her house at seven. I'll ask her after lunch. She'll be happy to go over the details. I swear she talks like Skye.” In reference to how excited the younger girl could talk.

The door creaked opened, and Jemma glanced up as it did.

“Welp,” Jemma spoke quickly. “Got to go, see you after.” She hung up to phone before he could say bye.

“Was that your husband?” Mia asked, her bright pink lips stretched in a smile.

“Yes.” She answered with a smile of her own. The usual smile she used. “Seven works out great. I'm sure Grant is happy for the break from unpacking.”

Mia took that moment to set down, trapping Jemma in conversation. Getting up now with ten minutes left of her lunch break would just look rude. It was rude. So she flashed a smile at the other.

“I'm very lucky to have him. And his muscles.” She added with a laugh. It was little high. Hopefully, it didn't sound fake. “Unpacking would be forever, but he doesn't start his own job till next week. Hopefully, we can get everything done by then. We're trying not to be one of those couples who takes forever to unpack everything.”

Mia laughed at that. Almost anything could make her laugh so it wasn't surprising. 

“My husband and I hired movers, but you have such a smaller house. You probably don't need the extra help. Well, dear.” Mia placed a hand on her shoulder as she got up from the table. “I do have my own work to attend to. I trust you can make it back to your lab alright. Also, I'll text the directions to my house. See you later.”

Mia left the room with a bright smile. It wasn't like Jemma's bright smiles. At least to her it didn't feel like it. When Jemma smiled bright and bubbly like that it would light up her whole face. Mia's was just off. Almost as if the only light came from her mouth. Or it was trying too. It just rubbed Jemma the wrong way. Though, she decided to not dwell on the gut feeling. She was already mentally preparing herself for the dinner.

Jemma also decided she was talking to Ward again. To make things easier. He wasn't forgiven. Not even close.

He picked her up just as planned.

“So, dinner?”

Jemma nodded, fiddling with her phone as she did so. “Yeah, seven tonight. Mia's going to text me the directions in a bit.”

“Alright, good.” Ward said as rubbed his jaw. “also, when we get back to the house, we have a call with Coulson. He wants to check in.”

“Great.” Jemma muttered before they continued in silence.

“Simmons, how are you?”

It was Coulson's first question out of his mouth. They had barely had time to hit accept on the call before his imagine flashed onto the screen and he was speaking.

“Adjusting.” Jemma answered after a second of hesitation. He had caught her off guard. She hadn't expected their co's first question to be directed towards her.

“Good or bad?” He asked again. 

“Good-ish?” Jemma answered with the slightest shrug to her shoulders. Her tone made it sound like a question. Which she didn't want to make it to be. She wanted to sound confident. Maybe ease his apparent worries. 

He smiled when he spoke again. Light and reassuring. If only it had worked. “May I talk to Ward alone for a moment?”

She glanced towards Ward. He'd been silent since the start of the call. His mouth opened like he was going to say something. He didn't. Instead, he nodded at her.

'Simmons, please.” Coulson commanded when she hadn't moved.

“Alright, fine. I have to get ready any way.” She muttered to herself.

As she got walked to her room, she wondered if he was going to say something. If he was going to argue for her to stay put. Maybe to say he was sorry for not including her on things earlier. It was hopeful thinking.

It was a little too early to get ready. Though, Jemma did treat herself to nice shower for the tension in her shoulders. It killed the time as well. It would have been better spent finishing the make shift lab, but that required sneaking by Ward and Coulson. She was attempting to save herself from embarrassment. So, she took her time getting ready. Dresses, it seemed, was becoming a normal part of Jemma Steven's look. It had been the second or third time she had worn a dress in the last few days. Jemma didn't mind. They weren't horrible as long as she could accomplish her work. It hadn't been an issue so far.

Ward knocked half way through to inform her he was going to take a quick shower. Twenty minutes tops he had said. She pulled on her dress. This time she had chosen a navy blue one with a peter pan collar. It was close to something she might actually wear. The familiarity, she was hoping, would keep her calm through dinner. With the palm of her hands, she smoothed over her hair. She was ready as she would ever be.

She sat at the counter checking over the directions Mia had sent.

“Another dress?”

It was a silly question, but Jemma answered anyway. “Yes, I've decided that Mrs. Stevens enjoys dresses and skirts more than trousers.” Her cheeky answered earned a small, barely there smile. Considering it was Ward, Jemma took it as a victory.

“We'll probably have to tell the story of how we meet.” Ward informed her. “That's not really a concern of mine. I know you'll get the facts, but maybe not the personality. Just take it slow and easy. Also, I'm going to be wearing a microphone.” He turned his head to show his ear.

Jemma couldn't see anything. Which was the point.

“Mia or Andrew may let something slip. Just in case. I thought you should know.”

Jemma raised an eyebrow. “Before or after I made a fuss about it?”

He didn't answer. Maybe he couldn't. She wasn't in the mood to find out. 

“I'm sorry about Coulson.” Ward told her after she had given them the directions in the car.

Jemma shrugged her shoulders. There wasn't much he could do about it. Nor did he seem to be telling her what they had discussed. He could apologize all he wanted while still keeping her out of the loop.

“It was to protect you, it is to protect you.” Ward added after her silence. “If something happens, if something goes wrong and you end up in the wrong hands. I have to know you'll be safe. Coulson has to know that you don't know information that could hurt yourself or getvothers killed. It's for your protection.”

Jemma nodded. She didn't like it, but she got it.

She put on a blinding smile as she stepped out of the car. She'd wear it most of the night. Grant took her arm leading her up the long driveway to the sizable house. They fitted together naturally. At least if felt like that to the biochemist. Jemma tired to ignore the feeling.

The evening actually passed with out incident. Surprisingly. Of course, there were a few times she messed up with her words. Speaking a bit too fast. Blushing at the wrong time. Mia didn't seem to notice. Andrew, tall and lanky, might have. The 'couple' managed to kiss each others cheeks at different moments. Mia fawned over it. She blamed her blush on the wine they'd been drinking. Mia showed a brief tour of her house; mansion really. It was too brief for Jemma to notice anything unusual. Jemma's proudest moment was their recounting of how they met. The two took turns describing how they met at the school Jemma was attending while Ward was going over it's security protocols. She had been tasked to show him around; the downside of having a part time job in administrations. Ward had asked her to lunch shortly after. It flowed naturally from there to their marriage.

They got home around three hours later. Jemma was absolutely exhausted. She wanted nothing more than pjs and to curl up in her bed. Ward stopped her in the kitchen before she could disappear.

“You did good today.” He was standing too close. He'd been too close since their evening out together had started. It felt like she was suffocating.

“T-thank you.” She muttered. Too exhausted to speak louder.

He dropped a kiss to her forehead. Right where he hairline started. His hands were on her shoulders turning her towards the stairs.

“Goodnight.” He called as she climbed up them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cuddles, and mentions of death but nothing too graphic.

A week and a half passed with out anything major occurring. There was no incident that required their intimidate attention. Nothing major, nothing that raised any red flags. Ward said to give it time. It just made Jemma nervous. Certainly something would have had to happen given their circumstances. Or maybe she was just hoping the sooner something happened, the sooner they could end the mission. Their dynamic had changed. Almost completely. Jemma didn't call him Ward in the house. Or even in her head. Unless she was angry, but there hadn't been to many reasons for her to be angry at him. The chemist had accepted that she'd be given only chunks of information.

They developed a routine. An easy one. Or, to her, it felt that way. When they were home alone it didn't seem so bad. Jemma could forget she was playing house with some one else. It stopped feeling like she was playing house. Though, her anxiety still persisted. That wouldn't just go away. Not like that, but when were together and away from the lies, things didn't seem so bad. Who ever woke up first would make breakfast. They'd discuss their plans for their day as they ate, get dressed, and Ward would drop her off at work. After work they'd either go out or spend the rest of the day at their house. Weekends they tried to hang out around town. Hopefully, they'd hear something. They still went their to their separate bedrooms at night. Which Jemma was finding ridiculous now.

“Um, well, good night.” Jemma said from the doorway of Ward's room.

He looked up from the laptop. “Night, Jemma.”

She didn't move away from the door frame. Though, Jemma didn't say anything.

“Do you need something?” Grant asked when she hadn't moved.

“You can sleep in my bed. I mean if you want to, but I think you should.” She blurted out.

He was quiet for a moment. “Are you still having issues sleeping?”

Jemma shook her head quickly. No. She'd been able to get almost full nights of sleep since the third or fourth night in town. 

“I was uh just thinking that it'd be more believable if we slept in the same room.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a second. “If some one was to look into our house or what not, they'd see something was up. It'd be easier if we slept in the same room. Besides, we're two very capable adults, I'm sure we can handle sleeping in the same bed. I'm sure you've slept in worse conditions seeing as your a specialist.”

“Give me a few minutes to finish up.”

“Alright.”

Jemma changed into her pjs and was curled up on the left side of the bed when Ward entered. She glanced over at him. He had on a baggy shirt and boxers; something he didn't wear to bed usually. It was generally just boxers, but Jemma assumed he donned the shirt for her sake. He took the right side before saying good night. 

When she woke up, her head was pillowed against Ward's arm. His other, draped across her side. Jemma could just feel the tickle of his breath against her neck. She was conflicted. Did she try to escape Ward's arms or did she wake him up?  
Fortunately, she didn't have to find out.

“Sorry.” Ward grumbled with a sleep heavy voice. 

She squeaked out a fine, and wiggled out of his grasp.

“We have a date today.” Ward reminded her. There a was a slight flush to his face. His tone was more reserved.

Beach date. Sort of. Mia had been completely appalled that Jemma had never been to the beach before. Even more appalled that Grant had never taken her either.

“Not till ten.” It was Jemma's turn to remind him. “It's only seven thirty.”

Ward was invited along despite Andrew not attending himself. Mia had spouted something about a business trip. 

They spent the rest of the morning in relative silence. Neither was eager to discuss what had occurred upon waking. A simple explanation could be that Ward was a cuddler. Either way, Jemma pushed the thought out her head entirely. Better to not dwell on things she couldn't answer. 

“You look very beach-y.” Jemma informed him with a cheery voice.

He was, though-standing next to the car waiting for her. A black tank top, his usual aviators, and swimming trunks. There was no way he was going unnoticed at the beach.

Jemma had tried to look beach-y as well. Tried being the key word. Her har was piled on top of her head in a messy not, a loose yellow sundress, a blue bathing suit underneath, and sandals. She had skipped the sunglasses in favor of a floppy hat.

She had been expecting a parking lot or sand when they pulled up. Instead, flashing police lights greeted them.

Jemma glanced worriedly over at Grant. He had his lips pressed together in a thin line. The car rolled nosily into the gravel parking lot. There weren't many civilians. What ever happened must have just occurred. There wasn't even a local news van yet. 

“Recent.” Ward muttered. “Stay in the car.” 

Unbuckling her own seat belt, she ignored him.

“Jemma, car. Please.” He ordered, firm tone and all.

“No.” She lifted her chin slightly. “I'm not waiting in the car.”

She could just barely hear the slew of curses Grant dropped under her breath. The waves could be heard by the parking lot. 

“Fine.” His hand found the small of her back and Grant was pushing her forward. “Try to look concerned.”

The few cops left in the parking lot were setting up a small barrier. They were obviously preparing for people.

“Sorry, folks.” The one said when he glanced up and saw the couple. “The beach is closed while it's under investigation.” He glanced at them. “Tourists? If you really want to enjoy the beach, go about five miles down. It's pretty down there. Even a reef.”

Grant gave a thankful smile. “We'll keep that in mind. Any idea about what happened here?”

The police man sighed. “I'm sorry. It's too early. I can't say much, and I'm sure the evening news will have everything week. Dead body. Young. That's all I can say. Have a good day.”

They both gave him thankful smiles.

Jemma sagged into the car seat when they returned.

“What do we do?”

Ward tapped the stirring wheel. “Call Mia. Cancel. Tell her what you saw.” 

Her call with Mia was short. Apparently, she had already heard the news. Which Jemma didn't really question. Though, Grant did. Mia agreed that rescheduling was the wisest move. 

“What did she seem like?” Grant asked for what Jemma could only guess was the fifth time.

“I don't know, calm?” Jemma answered. She was irritated. There wasn't much she could do on her end. So she was helping Ward any way she could. 

He pulled the phone away from his mouth. “That's not very helpful.”

“You're not very helpful.” Jemma muttered when he was talking over the phone.

So far, the information was lacking. It was five hours since the body had been discovered. Even with their access to the police files, they'd have to do their fair share of waiting for anything useful. They took a break at three to eat. Both of them were silent. Jemma's mood had plummeted. She didn't like not being able to do something when she could. There were at least four or five things she could be doing right now to be figuring out if the death was connected to their case. Instead she was eating Italian while watching some idiotic reality tv show.

“It's a shame Stevens doesn't have a back ground in forensics. She'd be very happy to help.”

Grant sighed from his seat on the couch. “Dwelling won't help.”

“I know.” Jemma muttered into her pasta. It didn't help, but at least she could dwell on what could.


End file.
